Hazard navigation light for wind turbines

ABSTRACT

A wind power installation includes a pylon and a machine housing mounted thereon. The pylon accommodates the rotor of the wind power installation and the generator for producing energy. Wind power installations can be provided with signaling devices so that the attention of air traffic is drawn to the existence of the wind power installation as a large structure. The flight lighting arrangement produces a light which is visible over a long distance, preferably a flashing light. A cover arranged with the flight lighting arrangement can substantially prevent the light from the flight lighting arrangement from being visible, from the ground, in a region around the wind power installation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention concerns a wind power installation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wind power installations have long been known. They usually consist of anumber of components such as a pylon and a machine housing which ismounted thereon and which accommodates the rotor of the wind powerinstallation and the generator connected thereto for producing energy.Whenever such wind power installations are located within air trafficzones, that is to say those regions which are directly in the relativeproximity of airports, such wind power installations must be providedwith certain signaling devices so that the attention of the air trafficis drawn to the existence of the wind power installation as a largestructure, in good time.

Signaling devices can also be coats of paint on the rotor blades (inparticular the tips thereof) of the wind power installation.

General guidelines for identifying obstacles to ‘air travel are knownfrom ‘Nachrichten für Luftfahrer’ [‘News for Pilots’], Part I, NfL I15/00, 27th Jan. 2000.

The various flight lighting arrangements are also mentioned therein.Another flight lighting arrangement is known from DE-U-200 08 289.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, embodiments of the invention reduce disadvantages offlight lighting arrangements.

In the wind power installation having one embodiment of a flightlighting arrangement is a flashing signaling device with a cover whichprevents the flashing signaling device from being visible in a givencone (viewed from the flight lighting arrangement) laterally of the windpower installation as seen from the ground. The opposing sides of thecone can be separated by an angle of at least 45°, preferably 90°-150°,or even equal or greater than 180° (horizontal). Such a cover prevents aview of the flight lighting arrangement when the flight lightingarrangement is viewed from within a region defined by the cone aroundthe wind power installation, but normal air traffic may still recognizethe light of the flight lighting arrangement from a distance.

In one embodiment, the cover is a mirrored surface with a parabolicconfiguration that causes the flashing signal to appear in strengthenedform and more easily visible to the air traffic.

In another aspect, an embodiment provides an advantage in that theflight lighting arrangement can substantially reduce the light pollutionfor a residential population in the region around the wind powerinstallation.

Depending on the respective height of the flight lighting arrangement,an angle of 150° or more can mean that, as viewed from the ground, thelight from the flight lighting arrangement is not seen at a distance of0 to 2000 m, preferably at least up to 1000 m, from the region aroundwind power installation. This means that the light from the flightlighting arrangement may no longer be a burden in adjoining or nearbyresidential areas.

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by means ofseveral embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a wind power installation according to oneembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a wind power installation according to oneembodiment of the invention, and

FIGS. 3 a, b, c, d and e show various embodiments of a wind powerinstallation according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a wind power installation 1 comprising apylon and a machine housing 2 mounted thereon as well as the rotor 3 ofthe wind power installation and the machine housing casing (pod) 4. Ascan be seen in FIG. 2 provided on the pod is a flight lightingarrangement 5 which is caused to flash from time to time or constantlyby a suitable control (not shown). Provided below the flight lightingarrangement is a cover 6 which prevents the light of the flight lightingarrangement from being visible from the ground in a region around thewind power installation. That region can be defined by a cone diameterof, for example 2000 m, as formed on the ground around the wind powerinstallation. In one embodiment, the light from the flight lightingarrangement cannot be seen in a region of up to about 1000 m around thewind power installation. The region around the wind power installationfrom which light from the flight lighting arrangement 5 is substantiallyblocked may vary based upon the height of the wind power installation,the shape and size of the cover 6 and/or pod 4, and the ambient lightconditions at the time of viewing. The volume from which light from thelighting arrangement may not be visible, as discussed herein, may bemore accurately described as a cone frustum in which the top portion ofthe cone is truncated (i.e., the light emitted from the flight lightingarrangement above the cover 6 is visible in the apex region of the coneand at a distance therefrom as illustrated in FIG. 3 b).

The shape of the region may correspond to a shape of the cover 6 or pod4. For example, if the cover 6 comprises a large circular disc, then thelight of the flight lighting arrangements 5 would not be visible in aconical region below the disc. Depending on the respective diameter ofthe disc, the covered (e.g., non-lit region) area can be larger(increase in the cone angle, as defined by an apex of the cone above thecover and illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 b). If the cover 6 of the flightlighting arrangement 5 is parabolic in shape (FIG. 3 a) or box-shaped(FIG. 3 c), the cone angle can be up to 180°. A cone angle of 180° orgreater may prevent the flight lighting arrangement 5 or light therefromfrom being viewable from the ground. Thus, when the cone angle is lessthan 180°, the light from the flight lighting arrangement 5 ispractically no longer visible below the slanted lines defining the sidesof the cone (see FIGS. 2 and 3), with respect to the flight lightingarrangement 5. Large angles, as described, are usually unnecessary asthe flight lighting arrangements 5 of the wind power installations areoften located relatively high with respect to the surrounding buildings.

If the cone angle is about 160 to 170°, then the light of the flightlighting arrangement 5 may not be visible in a region of about 500-2000m laterally of the wind power installation, but may be visible by theflight traffic.

In principle, it is possible for the cover 6 of the flight lightingarrangement 5 to be such that it is always only the same region in agiven lateral region of the wind power installation that is covered. Ifthat cover 6 is stationary or can be adjusted by motor means (uponrotation of the pod about the point of rotation), therefore, in such anembodiment, only the selected region laterally of the wind powerinstallation that is covered, independently of an azimuth angle of thewind power installation. As FIGS. 3 a-3 d show, various configurationsof the cover 6 can be envisaged. In that respect it is the position ofthe outer edge 7 of the cover 6 that determines the coverage area (i.e.,cone diameter).

The higher or more extended that outer edge 7 is taken, thecorrespondingly greater is the cone angle and the correspondinglygreater is the cone diameter of the region around the wind powerinstallation.

The intensity of the light from the flight lighting arrangementdecreases with the distance from the wind power installation, thus itmay be sufficient if the cover provides a ‘shadow range’ of about 1500to 3000 m, or markedly less, around the wind power installation.

All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications,U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applicationsand non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/orlisted in the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein byreference, in their entirety.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specificembodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, various modifications may be made without deviating fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is notlimited except as by the appended claims.

1. A wind power installation having a machine housing fitted to a pylon,the machine housing including a rotor and a generator connected thereto,the wind power installation comprising: a flight lighting arrangementwhich produces a light that is visible from a distance; and includes acover that prevents a substantial amount of the light from the flightlighting arrangement from being visible seen from the ground in a regionaround the wind power installation.
 2. The wind power installationaccording to claim 1 wherein the region comprises an area of about 0 to1000 m around the wind power installation to a height of about 3 to 10m.
 3. The wind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the covercomprises a plate located beneath and/or laterally of the flightlighting arrangement.
 4. The wind power installation according to claim1 wherein the cover has a parabolic configuration, and the flightlighting arrangement is disposed within the cover.
 5. The wind powerinstallation according to claim 1 wherein the cover is of such aconfiguration that the region comprises an area of about 0 to 2000 maround the wind power installation independently of an azimuthadjustment of the machine housing of the wind power installation.
 6. Thewind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the cover comprisesa plate that extends laterally outward from the flight lightingarrangement.
 7. The wind power installation according to claim 4 whereinthe cover permits the light of the flight lighting arrangement to bevisible at an angle of −10 to 90°, with respect to the horizontal. 8.The wind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the cover is ofsuch a configuration that a substantial amount of the light from theflight lighting arrangement is scarcely visible at a distance of about 0to 2000 m in the region around the wind power installation independentlyof an azimuth adjustment of the machine housing of the wind powerinstallation.
 9. A wind power installation comprising: a flight lightingarrangement that produces a light that alerts air traffic as to anapproximate location of the wind power installation; and a coverpositioned beneath the flight lighting arrangement that substantiallyblocks an amount of light from a region below the cover and around thewind power installation.
 10. The wind power installation of claim 9wherein the light is a flashing signaling light.
 11. The wind powerinstallation of claim 10 wherein the flashing signaling light flashesfrom time to time.
 12. The wind power installation of claim 10 whereinthe flashing signaling light flashes constantly.
 13. The wind powerinstallation of claim 9 wherein the cover comprises a large circulardisc.
 14. The wind power installation of claim 9 wherein the cover isconfigured to have a parabolic shape.
 15. The wind power installation ofclaim 9 wherein the cover is configured to have a box-shape.
 16. Thewind power installation of claim 9 wherein the cover includes a mirroredsurface.
 17. The wind power installation of claim 9 wherein a size andshape of the cover determines at least in part the amount of light thatis blocked from the region below and around the wind power installation.18. The wind power installation of claim 9 wherein the region below thecover and around the wind power installation is defined by a volumecorresponding to a cone frustum.